Terrific addition to the series. It was an emotional roller-coaster with a Beauty and the Beast feel to it. Like the previous books, this one focuses on particular aspects of the suffrage movement. In this case, most of the focus is on a woman's loss of autonomy when she marries, and some on the plight of women and children in the mining communities.

Hattie and her friends are all members of a group working toward women's suffrage. At the beginning of the book and series, I didn't care for Hattie as she didn't seem to be as deeply invested as the others. I sometimes felt she looked at her involvement more as a form of rebellion against her wealthy father than a true calling. She is also a struggling artist who evades her bodyguard one day to attend a tour of Lucian Blackstone's art collection.

Lucian is a ruthless businessman and self-made man rumored to have ruined more than one peer. The only reason he opened his home for the tour was to attempt influencing members of the peerage into accepting him into their circles. He wants that acceptance to make the contacts he needs to push for the changes he'd like to see happen in the country.

I liked the first meeting between Hattie and Lucian. He wasn't expecting her and mistook her for a different type of woman. Though Hattie was nervous and wary around him, that didn't stop her from standing up to him. Her knowledge and passion intrigued him and attracted him, leading to an explosive kiss. After she left, he discovered who she was and decided she was the perfect solution to his problems. He'd marry her and use her father to get what he wanted. Hattie herself would be an unexpected bonus. To that end, he manipulates events to force a marriage between himself and Hattie.

I enjoyed watching the slow burn development of the relationship between Hattie and Lucian. I liked that Hattie stood up for her needs from the beginning, insisting that she continue her studies and work with her friends. Lucian was surprisingly agreeable. But their marriage gets off to a rough start when Hattie learns of Lucian's actions. Already wary of the attraction that burns between them, Hattie does her best to keep him at a distance. Lucian wants her in his bed, but seduction, not force, is his preferred method. A small taste of passion sends Hattie running for cover, but she doesn't get far.

The confrontation between Lucian and Hattie when he stopped her flight created more of a rift between them. Lucian wasn't about to give in and insisted on Hattie accompanying him to Scotland. While there, the rift narrows as they spend more time together. I liked seeing how Hattie's positive outlook softens some of Lucian's rougher edges. He's more than a little disturbed by his growing feelings for her but can't help wishing for more. At the same time, as Hattie sees a different side of life, she grows to love Lucian for who he is. There are some wonderful scenes of their interactions and the effects on the way they look at things. I especially enjoyed seeing Hattie get involved with the miners' families and search for ways to help them, bringing in her work for women's rights. I loved her ideas.

When disaster strikes at the mine, sending Lucian into a rage against the previous owner of the mine, Lucian carries out his long-planned revenge against him. Horrified by his actions, Hattie tears into Lucian before fleeing back to London. When Lucian catches up to her, she makes it plain that some things must change and that it starts with her. I ached for them both as Hattie made her demands, though I understood why she felt that way. Though it hurt him badly, I loved that Lucian understood and supported her needs. I rooted for them to find their way back to each other and loved how it happened. Their reunion was lovely, and the epilogue showed the changes in them both.

I liked the attention to historical detail. The stories of the miners, their families, and the hardships of their lives painted a vivid picture and drew me deeper into the book. Hattie's idea of using photographs to bring attention to their plight intrigued me. I thoroughly enjoyed the expedition to purchase the camera and supplies. Seeing Hattie's treatment by the shop owner opened Lucian's eyes to the truth behind so many of her complaints. We also get updates on the suffragists' work back in England and the frustration at the glacial progress. I can't wait to read the next book, which I assume will be Catriona's story.

Evvie Dunmore (along with Tessa Dare) is basically the whole reason I fell in love with historical romance, so you can imagine how excited I was to read this book and let me tell ya! I was not disappointed! For the most part (the ending kind of lost me, but I can't say why because of spoilers and I don't think it will really bother anyone else. I'm just waaaay to picky with my HEA's)

ANYWAAAAYS!!

If you like:
historical romances
marriage of convenience
and grumpy/broody love interests
I think you'll really like this book!!

After a problematic second novel, Evie Dunmore is back swinging with a book I cannot stop thinking about. It’s incredibly raw, and although it’s only the third of four books in the series, it’s absolutely a leveling up and a culmination of what she’s set up in her first two books.

Hattie and Lucian are forced to marry after being caught kissing in a gallery. I’ve never met two people more insistent on not seeing things from the other’s point of view, or on not at least trying to make their marriage work before determining nothing good will come of it, and that gets frustrating at points.

Hattie doesn’t really understand the extent to which women are denied personhood until she’s married against her will, and it’s so very painful for her to realize how few avenues are available to her without her husband. It’s the kind of thing often glossed over or wholesale ignored in historical romances, and I think the “bUt WoMeN wErEn’T fEmInIsTs ThEn” contingent of romance readers will NOT like this book. But I thought it was such a valuable exploration of compromise, of adjusting expectations, of making a marriage work with an added layer of angst.

I will say that the ending was not my favorite. I think the separation was necessary, but my “wrap it up with a bow on top” heart just wanted them to be together nowwwwwww. Overall, though, a fantastic, thoughtful, thought-provoking return from Dunmore. I can’t wait for the fourth.

“Had Beauty been a man, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill the Beast, rather than fall in love with it.”

This is the third book in Evie Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women series, but it’s the first one I can say I genuinely loved.

Most of that is due to the Beauty & the Beast plot, and in the way Dunmore twists it to explore what such a power dynamic would actually look like during this time period. I LOVED the little twist at the end and how this couple ended up. Hattie is definitely my favorite heroine in this series so far. And Lucian, the dark and brooding Scotsman hellbent on revenge? Yum, yum, yum.

This also had a lot of my favorite tropes - grumpy + sunshine, only one bed, marriage of convenience. And it was a little kinkier than previous books too! Although like book 2 it teases proclivities that aren’t delivered on. Gimme bonus scenes, Dunmore!!

This book was good - I was not blown away by it like I was the first novel, but it was still a good book for lovers of historical fiction. I wasn't as invested in these characters, but some chapters gripped me more than others. I also feel it was a tad too long.

Nevertheless, this third book features Harriet, a banking heiress and artist. She is steadfast in what she believes and speaks her mind (when it is appropriate). She ends up in a tricky situation with Mr. Blackstone, which begins their love story.

Harriet and Mr. Blackstone face many challenges as they navigate their new relationship.

It’s official, I’m in love with this series and @evietheauthor has become one of my favorite historical romance authors (and romance authors, in general). I read the first two books last year and was smitten by her Victorian romances that are so well researched yet somehow feel so fresh and modern. I just LOVE her storytelling and characters. And yes, there is steam 🔥🔥🔥.

There’s ALWAYS a swoon-worthy male lead (in the case of this book, a hot, brooding Scotsman), but the real star is always the badass woman featured (thus the name of the series – A League of Extraordinary Women).

I can’t recommend these books enough and can’t wait to read Catriona’s story next!

Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes.

Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

Hattie Greenfield is the youngest of her family, and her aspirations are to be an acclaimed artist, have a noble cause to defend and a marriage to a titled man who puts gentle in gentleman. Why does she find herself at the altar with a ruthless financier with a murky past? Because of his darkly attractive handsomeness, or maybe it's because of the feelings he wakes in her.

When the daughter of his business rival falls into his lap, the Scotsman sees opportunity. As a self-made man the only thing his wealth can't buy is power, and Hattie is the key to his plan to gain some. His plans don't include his bewitching wife and her romantic notions. Hiding behind who they're supposed to be, will these newly weds be able get to know their new partners, maybe even loose their hearts in the process?

At first, I had my doubts. Finding Hattie a little childish. But as the story delves deeper, the heavy layers of dresses, parasols and expectation she hides behind reveal a bright young woman, who's always been stuck in a role society forces her into. With her marriage to Lucian, she slowly discovers he has no idea how a young bride of society should behave, so why not finally be herself. I find myself lost for words on how much I loved Hattie. She has grown in a life of privileges, ones she is aware of, but when confronted with the complexity of her allyship, she's struggling to find her path and her identity. Evie's voice was so loud in this book, we could feel the power in her carefully-chose words, and the parallels with the contemporary world we live in.

I loved how slowly their love story progressed. Because of the beginning I thought they would just dive in bed, and figure it all out later, but I am so glad that wasn't the case. I loved how both of them didn't know how to act in their new roles, not really knowing the other, and their expectations on marriage. My favourite moments were them lying in bed, debating and discussing their day and their troubles with the other, it was so delicately intimate.

The moment we realize Hattie is in love has to be to most wonderful silent declaration of love ever written. She finally calls him hers, she finally sees him for who he is, without pretenses, without judgement but with admiration and newfound devotion for him, not only for his body and the pleasure he gives her, but for his mind, for his struggles and how he grew into the man he is now.

I didn't see the pre-ending coming. But it was perfect. It broke all the rules we know about the famous fairy tale it was inspired by and turns it on its head, making it the perfection this love story deserves. Hattie and Lucian are my new favourite couple of this series. I loved how even if they thought they were so different at the beginning, they were but only on the surface. They had different ways to experience the world, different interests and passion, but their core values complimented each other. Even if Lucian wasn't artistic and Harriet wasn't too keen on numbers, they both supported the other and loved their different approach to life, because different doesn't mean bad, it doesn't mean contrary it just means not identical to your own.

Review done by Layla of Dear Author

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for access to this arc.


I was so excited about this book and in dreadful anticipation of its release. I had the happy butterflies in my belly that only happen when a new book by an author I love is being released. I have read (and re read) the previous book in this series, (The League of Extraordinary Women) A Rogue of One’s Own, which I absolutely adore. This series is composed of three interconnected books following the lives of three suffragettes in late Victorian England. The first book, Bringing Down the Duke, documents the love story between a Duke and Annabel, suffragette scholar and vicar’s daughter, the second book follows the romantic entanglements of Lucy a suffragette leader and her arch-nemesis Lord Ballantine, as they duel over ownership of a publishing house, and this third installment follows the story of Hattie, the daughter of a wealthy banker and financier Lucian Blackstone, who fall into a marriage of convenience.

The plot centers around the differences—in both class, temperament and ambition—between Hattie and Lucien. They are from two different worlds, but come to share a world together. She is sunny natured and optimistic, he is cynical and brooding, she is from a wealthy banking family looking to climb the social ladder, he is a financier with a shady past and unknown origin, her ambitions are to marry well and continue to develop her ‘art’, his is to make money and gain access to power. The only thing they share at the start of the story is their appreciation for art and an elemental attraction. The first section of the book builds on this tension—what kind of relationship can two people that are so different and seemingly unsuited to each other, have? This book has many tropes–marriage of convenience, class difference, and also road trip romance.

Generally there are two types of romances (in real life and in books)—between people who appear dissimilar but are actually very alike, and between those that really are different. In your book A Rogue of One’s Own, Lucy and Ballantine appear very dissimilar, but actually the whole romance is about how they discover how alike they actually are (I elaborate on this in my review of that book.) In Portrait of a Scotsman, one of the tensions of the book is around the differences in Hattie and Blackstone’s personality. Hattie is sunny natured, optimistic, prone to flights of fancy and profoundly innocent. She is also directionless and spoiled and lacks knowledge and experience of the real world. Blackstone on other hand, is cynical and emotionally scarred, driven by a desire to accumulate power and by revenge. He is also cold and calculating and controlling.

The book can be divided into three parts—the first part is where the hero and heroine meet, then fall into an arranged marriage, the second part is what happens during the hasty and unhappy marriage, and the third part takes place in Scotland where they go on a ‘honeymoon.’ I devoured the first half of the book, which I thought was well paced and beautifully written, but once the action moved to Scotland, I started to lose interest. At 448 pages, the book is too long and parts of the narrative especially towards the end, really dragged. There are so many conflicts introduced, I stopped believing that they could really make it work. I didn’t spend enough time with Hattie and Lucien being ‘happy’ or together.



The first part—the meeting/courtship phase—was wonderful. The book begins with one of the cutest first meet scenes I’ve ever read. Hattie arrives on the wrong day during a storm, for a tour of a private art collection. She has a tension filled—and romantic—encounter with Lucien Blackstone that sets the story into motion. The dynamic that unfolds between them is rooted in a strong physical attraction and the simmering energy between them is thrilling—you evoke that feeling of attraction so very well. The writing in this first part really shines. Hattie is an innocent sheltered girl but her innocence is not ignorance. She is not timid or shy, but she is also not worldly. She is described by Lucien as a new woman “ A woman with opinions, a bluestocking.” Where he is calculated, she is guileless, where he is world weary, her knowledge of the world is still fresh. After his first encounter with Hattie Lucien thinks to himself, “ It would explain the visceral pull in his gut when first clapping eyes on her, a sensation every seasoned thief knew when he spotted something precious.” For Hattie, the attraction is more basic. She shivers at the memory of his kiss, she experiences a kind of physical awakening or sharpening of her senses. This is epitomized in a scene early on where she debates the relationship between art and experience with a potential suitor in art class. “ Do you think it is possible to make good art without experience?” Hattie asks. This becomes a central concern in the book, the matter of what art means, what its impact is, the role it can play in society. Hattie wants to create something that is moving and true—she wants to connect experience with empathy, she wants something above the ordinary concerns of her class and her gender. This flourishes into her artistic pursuits and the discovery of hidden talents later in the book. This is one of the kernels of interest that makes the book so compelling—as with the best romances, it is not only about her and Lucien’s relationship, it is about her own awakening as a person. In fact, she is searching for awakening, for knowledge, for experience, for purpose, before she even meets Lucien. Her relationship with him becomes a conduit in a way, to her flourishing and growth. She grows separately from him, and with him, and in spite of him.



There is an aspect of realness, rich detail and historical accuracy that you excel at in all of your books. The brief encounters that happen between Hattie and Lucien were achingly romantic, and their consequences were gut wrenching and tragic.



Blackstone was an interesting and complex hero. I found him less easy to love, but easy to admire. He is described in various parts, as pirate like (when she first meets him his house and art collection is described as a “pirate’s lair” full of “treasures”). This story is very much a Hades/Persephone retelling. Blackstone (even his name is a play on the myth), like Hades, is stuck in darkness, capturing or stealing Hattie/Persephone and her ‘sunshine’. But even though a lot is revealed about his childhood, what he has suffered, and how he has made himself into someone of authority and power, he remains enigmatic. I honestly don’t know how to feel about Blackstone—he wasn’t a dream lover that’s for sure. He was less compelling than Hattie, and though he grovels a lot at the end, I never really felt that Hattie had the kind of sympathy or empathy for what he overcame that would have pushed the story into the next level for me. They didn’t seem like partners, like the heroes and heroines of your previous books.

A couple of final thoughts. I loved the cover! In fact, all the covers of your books are charming. The things I really loved and worked so well—the setup, and the way the book begins, the Persephone/Hades imagery, the circle of strong female friendships, the wedding night discussions, the reunion at the end and epilogue or afterword with her photo exhibit. I loved the setting, and while some of the Scotland scenes seemed cliched, I LOVED the Scottish Inn and the descriptions of it. I loved the literary allusions and how you wove in classic ‘romantic’ novels like Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. The scene where Hattie discovers Blackstone reading Wuthering Heights is AMAZING and one of the best in the whole book. I loved the “Mr. Bingley” trope (I’ve always been partial to Rochester or Darcy!!). Analogies are made between Blackstone and Heathcliffe from Wuthering Heights, and I loved how Blackstone very cleverly mocks that allusion.

If A Rogue of One’s Own was about the misery or dangers of marriage, and loss of control, then this book was about the rigid restrictions and dictates on women’s public behavior, the cult of modesty and the way women are kept ignorant of their bodies. It also attacks the desire for conformity, and you made me feel very deeply the injustice of a society that condemns a good girl whose always behaved, for simply leaning in for a kiss.

I have two measures for a good book-one is if I want to re-read it, another is if images or ideas or characters linger. I don’t want to re-read Portrait of a Scotsman—in the end it was too long and bogged down in too many places. Hattie and Blackstone suffered too much and I needed more of seeing them happy together, even after their happy ending. The language and writing is very rich and evocative and clever, and the plot and the chances you take are so compelling. The level of historical detail and research is also very rich. I loved the series overall, and while I didn’t love this book, I stayed up all night to finish it. I would most definitely recommend!

My grade: B+

Hattie is the daughter of a banker in a family full of business minds. Because of her dyslexia she finds herself shuffled into the “pretty” catagory by her family and her intelligence is discounted. Mind you, she’s smart enough to be taking classes at Oxford, but her inability to write things down without getting numbers and letters confused makes her father think she’s not bright. Hattie is also a victim of circumstance. Her father has built his wealth but they are not in the higher levels of society and her marriage to a lord is of the utmost importance to help elevate her family’s station. When she is seen giving Mr. Blackstone a peck on the lips, in front of a group of people no less, she is forced to accept his hand in marriage and despite her fascination with him she has a lot to learn about her husband and his intentions.

Lucian comes from a coal mining family background. Her mother after being knocked up by the lord of the manor (who probably raped her) comes back to live in the coal mining town she is from, which is where Lucian starts his life. When he’s a young teen he becomes homeless and lives on the streets of London and talks his way into a shop keeper’s job, and his upward trajectory is started. He never forgets where he came from and who the man was who took advantage of his mother. The rest of his life is built for him to make money so he has the chance to take him down. So you can see that Hattie has a lot to deal with when she becomes married to Mr. Blackstone.

I have been fascinated with this era and have found this series to be so interesting! I think Portrait of a Scotsman portrays that world in black and white, and what it means to be a woman in it regardless of how much money you have. Until Hattie’s world changed by marrying Lucian Blackstone she was just going through the motions of being in the Suffrage Movement. Her handoff from her father to a husband without being given a choice brought the truth home. She had zero control over her own life. So what is Hattie to do about it? You’ll just have to read this riveting novel yourself to find out.

Never fear, there is romance in Portrait of a Scotsman, although Hattie certainly makes Lucian work for it, but for me this story is more revelatory for our main character (and me!) than it is romantic. Yes, there is a lot of heat between Hattie and Lucian, but she is on a journey of self-discovery and just because she’s married doesn’t mean that’s going to be the end of her education. Truth be told her journey does not actually happen alone, her husband learns quite a few things himself, and after quite a bit of conflict they do achieve their happily ever after.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest.

MINI REVIEWS: A Rogue of One’s Own + Portrait of a Scotsman (out today!) by Evie Dunmore (4 stars to both)

Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women series is such a delight, and I especially enjoyed books 2 and 3, which I read back-to-back in August. The novels are interconnected but can be read as standalones.

Set in 1880s England, they’re historical romances that feature strong and interesting women — all friends through the suffragist cause.

While the books are charming and fun and a little steamy, they also address topics like gender roles, double standards, oppression of women, and class differences, and Dunmore occasionally incorporates primary sources (like a quote from a letter or phamplet). She also does a good job crafting a vivid historical atmosphere and sense of place.

In case you want to start at the beginning, I don’t want to spoil who ends up romancing whom, but I will say that Portrait of a Scotsman is my favorite story and couple thus far.

It involves an upper-class daughter of a banker and a gruff, grumpy and mysterious Scotsman. A lot of the book takes place in Scotland (mining is involved — if you liked Poldark, you’ll like this!), which I enjoyed, and this installment also had the most character development of the series.

If you’re a fan of period dramas, historical romance and/or romcoms, you should give this series a look. With the state of the world, I’m more than happy to get lost in some fun, warmhearted and escapist love stories with characters I can’t resist rooting for!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @berkleypub for a free review copy of Portait of a Scotsman! (And happy pub day!)

Dunmore strikes the right note—again!

So many themes woven into this fascinating Victorian romance series centered around the League of Extraordinary Women—a group of women suffragettes who all met in Oxford.
Underneath this tale pulses the dark aspects of the coal mining industry.
Harriet Greenfield, from a moneyed family, is studying art and painting under Ruskin at Oxford. (How she’s treated here is further illumination about the gap between the sexes!) Her desire to see one of the masters in a private collection leads down a somewhat convoluted path to being married to the imposing, secretive investor, Lucien Blackstone, dubbed Beezlebub and a business rival of her father.
As I said, Hattie is not only an artist, she’s also part of a suffragette movement, her closest friends being in that circle. All are feisty and determined. On the surface Hattie appears decorative and unfocused. She is so much more.
This seemingly simple romantic work with its ‘marriage of convenience’ trope displays the Victorian social mores of a wife’s role, the legalities of the time between husband and wife, ownership and so much more.
Hattie and Lucien travel to Scotland to look at a mine he’s bought from his arch enemy, the Earl of Rutland. Reasons for that enmity are slowly dispelled to us throughout the story, one drop at a time. It’s in the Scottish lowlands that Hattie and Lucien finally come to explore their intimate relations (reasons for that lie in the marriage itself). Fascinatingly it’s here that Hattie’s artistic gift is given an opportunity to acquaint herself with photography. How that comes about is both poignant and devastating, opening Hattie’s eyes (and ours) to life in this community, giving even more insight into mining conditions and affects encompassing the social, economic iniquities and health aspects. I was struck by Hattie’s juxtaposition of symbolism she uses in her photographs and her reasons for that, like that of young Anne, a mining child holding a parasol.
I was so impressed by Dunmore’s research and the themes she integrated into Lucien and Harriet’s story. Including “art as a vehicle for change,” marital relationships and rights in Victorian times, working in the pits, disasters, and the suffrage movement at this time.
A special read!

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

After Reading Dunmore's first romance novel (Bringing down the duke ) , I fall in love with her writing style. She became my Favorite historical romance author .
I've said it before in my review of ( A Rogue of One's Own ) and I will say it again in this review :

Evie Dunmore can NOT write anything except PERFECTION .
With her books , she gave a new definition to historical romance in my mind .
Honest to God, Now, I rate all the books in this genre according to her masterpieces , with every Historical romance I read , my mind directly starts comparing the characters , content , plot to her books .

But ....
while reading this book ( Portrait of a Scotsman), I was confused , seriously !
Even though I loved the characters and Dunmore's take on the " Marriage of convenience " ," Hades - Persephone retelling " Tropes . I didn't like multiple scenes .

The story got all the beautiful elements of Dunmore's writing : Well-researched background , strong female characters , females supporting females , hot and romantic scenes . Except, for me , there was something missing . I just haven't been able o point it out till now ( and I've been done reading the novel for two days !! ) .
Maybe it was the chemistry between the main couple ( I didn't feel it that much ) or the heroine ( whom I liked but didn't feel connected with her personality or understood her actions that much ) . Or it could be the sequence of events in the story .

All in all , I would still recommend this book for all historical romance lovers , especially those who prefer the " Marriage of convenience " and " Hades - Persephone retelling " Tropes.


Huge thanks to Penguin Random House international for sending me an E-ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a great addition to a wonderful series, and probably the truest "enemies to lovers" story I've ever read. The characters were well crafted and dynamic, and I loved the added setting of Scotland that was included. I'll definitely be recommending the entire series to friends and customers!

The absolute best thing about these books is how they suck you in from the first chapter. Loved this book so much! Five stars from me.

Hattie Greenfield is looking for the perfect husband. He has to be sweet, kind - love reading books and going on romantic trips. She wants a love match and to a man who she chooses. Except that Hattie finds herself tangled with Lucian Blackstone. Blackstone is a bit dark and dangerous and rumor has it he is capable of ruining men financially if he so chooses. Hattie doesn't want anything to do with him, but her father has other plans and so she finds herself married to the broody Scot. Will their marriage be just a farce, a means to an end or will they end up falling in love and making it a true love marriage?

I have to start of by saying that I love the marriage of convenience trope. Hattie and Lucian have so much chemistry together and I loved every scene that they had together. And although their marriage started off rocky and not on the right foot, I was rooting for them to fall in love the entire time.

Portrait of a Scotsman was such a romantic book, I was often swooning at these two beautiful characters who had so much love to give but often stopped themselves for fear of being hurt. Lucian and Hattie had a lot of obstacles to overcome, including their socioeconomic upbringings. Where Lucian was poor growing up, Hattie was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Evie Dunmore did a wonderful job showcasing the differences between both characters. And I often found myself agreeing with both sides of the story.

I also really enjoyed the various secondary characters in the story. Not only Hattie's friends who we have seen in pervious books, but also the coal miners and their families while Hattie and Lucian were in Scotland. I could totally see and feel the various experiences/scenes while reading the book.

I will say that the book did start off a little slow for me, but picked up the pace after the first quarter or so. The slow burn between Lucian and Hattie definitely paid off.

If you're looking for a romantic, but equally feminist book - grab a copy of Portrait of a Scotsman.

Overall I would give Portrait of a Scotsman 4.5 stars, but rounding up because I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely romantic book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review.

PORTRAIT OF A SCOTSMAN is the third book in A League of Extraordinary Women, following artist, heiress, and suffragist Harriet Greenfield and the infamous man that she finds herself unexpectedly and unsettlingly compromised by, Lucian Blackstone. Hattie wants to marry for love and Lucian needs her pedigree in order to reach his political aspirations. They know very little about each other and start off on the wrong foot in a story riddled with allusions to Beauty & the Beast, Brontē, and Austen.

At first glance, Hattie and Lucian are polar opposites: she views the world with an artist’s eye and he with calculating business acumen, she wants a husband who will respect her and he wants a wife who will open doors for him, she takes matters into her own hands and so does he. Neither understands the others’ perspective, and they manage to set each other off with very little effort. When Lucian sweeps Hattie away to Scotland to oversee a newly acquired mine, she is thoroughly displeased. But as she gets to know the people in the mining community, she gains perspective on the intersection of class and gender and the ways that the fight for women’s suffrage falls short in addressing the needs of all women. The historical details paint a vivid picture of the time period.

The character development was well done. Hattie and Lucian are at odds more often than not, but both make an effort to patch their arguments and learn from each other over the course of the book. They push each other’s buttons but they also push each other to think deeper. Sparks good and bad fly between them with their forced proximity, and it is delightful to see them begin to trust, accept, and support each other.

Miscommunication is one of my least favorite aspects of romance novels, but Portrait of a Scotsman neatly sidesteps my usual ire and manages to withhold critical information that would save a lot of heartache without feeling like it was information that needed to be shared. Perhaps it’s because their miscommunication leads to something that I feel is crucial to Hattie and Lucian’s continued happiness but I also believe that it is because the omission was not an intentional deception.

If you’re looking at a satisfying historical romance that delves into the nuance of Victorian society and working conditions while following a sunshine heroine and brooding hero in a forced-proximity, marriage-of-convenience that might just utilize the there’s-only-one-bed trope, this one’s for you!

In an interesting twist of the series, this book focuses on women miners who work naked because of the heat and wear trousers home. They are not paid the same amount as the men. At home after work, they’re still supposed to still accomplish all the duties of a wife and mother. At this time, some politicians were trying to stop them from working because of their “frail femaleness.” But in reality, they needed and wanted the jobs. (Better pay too).

The miner women are seen through the main couple’s eyes. Hattie, a spoiled and naive aristocrat; but who also is kind and compassionate. And the man she was forced by her family to marry because of a kiss, Mr. Lucian Blackstone. Lucius is a self-made man, but worked in a mine as a child. His mother and half sister died in a mining accident. These two opposites are definitely attracted to each other, but there are many misunderstandings because of class and culture. The book also explores what options a woman has to leave her marriage at this time.

Do you like mysterious men?
Do you like independent bluestockings?
Do you like steamy chemistry?

I am so happy for Hattie's story! She has been such an amazing friend to Annabelle and Lucie.  

And Lucian the man that everyone is intrigued by but also appalled cause he isn't old money and oh goodness born lower class. I mean the nerve of him.

As usual I loved everything about this book. He was so sweet after they were "forced" to wed. And after she tried to escape they went to one bed fun in Scotland. He waited for her to be ready which definitely wasn't the norm but he had already waited for this arrangement. It was so steamy! Their exploration in the bedroom and figuring out their likes was yep! .. liked it! 

It was great and heartbreaking learning Lucian's backstory and his start. The trip to Scotland and the coal mines. The reason why he does what he does. Hattie's coming in with her privilege trying to help those women and not knowing how but her heart is in the right place. I love the suffragette theme throughout this series and the plight of unmarried, widowed, working women or mothers was a whole other class of people that hadn't been explored by the movement yet 

I wasn't expecting their situation at the end and that he would go along but swoon when he finally showed up.

They said this was Bridgerton meets Outlander.

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Heiress, Hattie Greenfield is studying art at Oxford University but feels no one is taking her seriously. She longs to take her talent to the next level and is looking for inspiration when she learns of an exhibit of Everett Millais’ famous painting of Ophelia, which is in the collection of her father’s business rival, self-made Scottish businessman, Lucian Blackstone. She arrives for the viewing and instead finds herself compromised by the devilishly attractive Scot, and marriage to the man is the only way to salvage her reputation and prevent a scandal. At first, Hattie is attracted to her husband, but when she learns that he planned to compromise her, her feelings quickly change.

Lucian is wealthy but lacks the connections needed to open doors remain shut to him, so marriage to Hattie is the perfect solution. He wants to make his marriage work, despite Hattie’s resistance, so when a problem arises at one of his mines, he insists that she accompany him to Scotland. During the visit, their romance begins to simmer and Hattie does seem to grow a bit, especially after learning of Lucian’s past and the issues the miners are subjected to. But is that enough for her to forgive him?

Overall, this is a well-written, well-researched book, but I was disappointed when it felt like this slow-burn romance devolved into a political treatise. I also had a really hard time liking Hattie, I tried to understand her POV and be lenient considering her learning disability and the fact that she was duped by Lucian, but she was just too inconsistent and at times came across as a spoiled brat, rather than the intelligent woman she was supposed to be. In the end, I didn’t really care for this book, it just didn’t work for me, but that is not to say that it is a bad book, it is just not what I want to read. This book is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

A huge thank you to PRH International, Berkley Pub & NetGalley for my eARC!

4⭐️ 4🌶

This was another fun installment in this historical romance series that I’m very much obsessed with!

Knowing Hattie through the first two books and Blackstone from the last book, I came to be very curious as to how their love story might go so I dove into this with pure excitement!

This started off really good especially with Hattie and Lucian’s awkward meet cute and being caught in a compromising situation moments later which led to a forced marriage/marriage of convenience situation for them. I had such a fun time reading about them getting to know each other and attempting to get along but knowing just how opposite they are, it was doomed from the beginning. The comparisons their relationship had with the Beauty and the Beast story piqued my interest!

Hattie is sweet, quirky, determined and has a passion for the arts while Blackstone is this broody, business-oriented man with revenge in his mind. Their enemies to lovers romance had my heart! Their verbal sparring and pettiness in the beginning was entertaining but seeing them slowly realize their similarities and how their passions align, I was screaming at every romantic moment they had.

This was spiciest book in the series so far in my opinion (married life has its perks!) and I enjoyed every delicious smut scene there was. The sexual tension between them was off the roof and having them act on their desires was enough to keep me going.

As I’ve said, this book started off strong but I felt that the pacing got slower towards the middle which makes for a good slow burn romance but might be hard for some to get through but I assure you that things get very interesting and thought provoking even by the second half.

I also really love how towards the end, this highlighted not only the unapologetically feminist themes drawn from the choices the main lead fought for but it also showed that genuine relationships always come with bumpy roads but it’s always worth it at the end. Hattie and Lucian’s story was definitely a love story for the ages! With this, I still loved every single story their group had for different reasons and I’m very excited for Catriona’s book next!

Overall, I will forever love Evie’s writing and her skill in combining historical stories with modern ideas in the best, most entertaining ways! I highly recommend this series!